Knowledge of God in Philo of Alexandria

How does Philo of Alexandria conceive of the origin and nature of the human mind? How does Philo perceive the potential of the human mind in its ascent to the divine? And how does he imagine the limitations of the human mind in its ascent to knowledge of such divine realities? Raising new questions regarding Philo’s view of divine knowledge, Jang Ryu identifies two distinct but related sets of epistemological ideas in the Philonic library, one in each of his exegetical series of writings. Philonic discourses on mystery initiation and divine inspiration in the so-called Allegorical Commentary are also considered in the light of Philo’s wider exegetical and philosophical interests.